Saturday errands

Yesterday I spent the morning writing like a good girl and then skipped out in mid-afternoon to do a bunch of errands and buy myself a bunch of things. Huzzah!

I headed down to the sixth arrondissement, riding the #12Metro to Rue du Bac.

I had decided to check out the Repetto store there, just in case the summer sales were already on. But, sorry, no. Lots of women looking at the shoes, but no sale... yet. I'll come back at the end of the month to take advantage of the great sales. My goal this year is to buy two pairs of ballerines, one in a neutral color and one something crazy. Like the bright blue suede.

Some women are not ballerines types, but I am. The pair I bought two years ago--a textured black--has held up to lots of use, lots of wear, and lots of walking. I wore them yesterday, in fact, and my feet felt great (surprisingly!).

En route to Repetto, walking down Rue Grenelle, I passed a long line of women (and their rich husbands) waiting outside the Christian Louboutin shop. Why, I don't know. They were taking up the entire sidewalk and looking like lions about to swoop on an antelope. I kept walking, not wanting to be classed as antelope.

This is a very swanky shopping area. Prada, etc. Heavy on the classy shopping bags. But funny too because my second stop was a pharmacy on the corner of Rue du Four and Rue Bonaparte where I buy skin care. I buy it here because they have the great brands and the prices are so ridiculous that the shop is always jammed. I have no idea whether they sell any sore throat lozenges or aspirin or toothpaste, but they are selling Nuxe and Darphin and Klorane and Avene and everything else. I bought some things to try--cheaper than Monoprix!--and escaped with my life. If anything works, I'll buy multiples and worry later about getting them home. I can't find many of the Nuxe items, for instance, in the US.

Then I went to Monoprix, where I bought a lipstick, new body wash (with a better, grapefruit scent), and coffee pods. I checked out all the accessories and didn't buy anything... amazing! Saw some good things for possible gifts, but want to sift through my brain. Also crazy crowded.

My next stop was Grom, the gelato place in nearby Rue de Seine that David Leibovitz made famous on his blog. Used to be quiet, but yesterday at 5 pm a long line of folks waiting for serice. I joined them and had a little cup of raspberry and apricot gelatos, which were worth the wait.

The crowds here are a mix of students, families, tourists and couples. The Parisians who live in the neighborhood are obviously well-off, as are the tourists/visitors who stay nearby. The university is close, and there are no big museums right there, so the crowds are more mixed. Great for watching, with so many families and small children present. Don't usually run into that interaction.

I usually stop for coffee at Cafe Flore, but that was for another day.

After that, in a very soft, evening rain I walked back across Rue Jacob (looking in all the windows), rue des Sainte Peres and Blvd. St. Germain to the Metro t Rue du Bac for the ride home. A very satisfying day.